Unexpected
by kijani
Summary: Hermione finally has her dream job, but when everything else comes crashing down, who will be there to help her pick up the pieces? HG/LL
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Oh, I'm writing femme-slash! That's right, guys. This is not only my first time working on a Luna/Mione pairing, but my first time doing any femme-slash for . As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, especially since this is a first-timer for me. Note: this does not follow canon

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter...JK Rowling does. The characters and everything are hers, not mine...but this particular storyline is. Now that we have the legal stuff out of the way...on with the story!

- - -

**Unexpected**

_Chapter One: Revelations_

Hermione Weasley had finally been offered her golden opportunity: a dream job at Hogwarts teaching one of her favorite classes from her school days. The post of transfiguration professor hadn't been open long, but the woman took the chance as soon as it came up.

A smile played on her face as she stood in front of the entrance to the castle. No matter how many years had passed, no matter how much she'd grown up over that time, Hogwarts still seemed to loom over her. Butterflies of excitement fluttered around in her stomach as she stood there and drank it all in. Back at the castle again...and this time, she would be the one giving the grade. She couldn't even describe how it all made her feel, how being back in this place once again had such a strong effect on her every emotion.

"Fancy meeting you here, _Professor_." It took Hermione a moment to realize just who was speaking to her. Pivoting on her heel, Hermione's eyes met with a pair of striking blue orbs. They were situated on a pale face with a long mane of very blond hair. _So familiar_...but it had been years...

"Luna? Luna Lovegood?" she gasped, unable to hide the surprise from her face.

"The one and only...and it's Professor Lovegood around the kids. I teach Divination around here now, you know..." Luna's smile was so genuine that it seemed to light up her whole face as she took a step towards her old friend.

Hermione nodded complacently, her own feelings for the topic of divination bubbling to the surface for a moment before she swallowed her pride. "That's great, Luna. I'm...me too! A professor, I mean. Transfiguration."

Luna nodded with a knowing smile. "Yeah. They told us you'd be coming. I figured you'd like a welcoming party. Neville would be here too, but there was a little _mishap_ in one of the Herbology greenhouses..." Luna paused a moment, her gaze flickering off to one of the high tower windows. "And I'm sure Ron is just getting ready for your arrival. Come on! I'll show you where you can put your things!" Luna jumped forward, clasping her hand around Hermione's and pulling the other woman towards the door. It was the same sort of childish excitement harbored towards the start of the Hogwarts school year when they were kids. Of course, things were a little bit different now, but Hermione couldn't help but allow Luna's mood to rub off on her just a little bit.

"Welcome back, Miss Granger! Err...Weasley..." Hermione recognized the voice of Professor Flitwick almost immediately, and flashed the man her best smile. "Good to see you back here again."

"Couldn't stay away, I guess..." she shrugged, waving as she and Luna passed him in the hallway.

Almost as if she could read the other woman's mind, Luna spoke up. "Flitwick is still here, and Hagrid and Binns of course. Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey are likely to never leave, and Professor Addison Dilworth teaches Potions now. Been here for three years now." she explained. "McGonnagal is still headmistress of course...she'll want to see you once you've gotten yourself settled..."

"Okay...got it..." Hermione nodded, smoothing out her robes absentmindedly in anticipation of seeing her old friend and former professor again. This was going to be a very long day full of a lot of surprises, but she knew she could handle it. That was why she was here, after all.

"Your room is right this way. I'm sure you'll recognize everything. It is your old house, after all..."

"Are they sure? Ron should have gotten..."

"Ron _insisted_ you take the position, 'Mione."

A small frown settled on Hermione's face for a moment before she let out a long sigh. Her frustration was short-lived however, as she and Luna passed the empty transfiguration classroom—_her_ classroom. "What about...?"

"You still have two weeks to get ready for the students. Don't worry about that. Do be careful of the nargles, though. They stole a whole batch of Hagrid's flesh eating slug repellent the other day."

"_Honestly_, Luna..." Hermione's sentence died an early death as her eyes wandered around the hallway. It was dark and somewhat barren...nothing like she remembered when she was a girl wandering the hallways. Her mouth formed a tiny 'O' as they made their way through the silent halls. It took her a moment to realize that Luna had stopped, and a tiny blush made its way onto her cheeks when she realized she'd nearly left the other woman behind. "Why are we here?" she asked.

"It's the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, silly!" Luna smiled.

Recognition flooded Hermione's face, and she took an eager step forward. Ron. This was _his_ classroom. She hadn't seen him in over a week! Of course, he knew she was coming, but she still couldn't help but feel that little bubble of excitement when she thought about it. She always missed him so much during the school year, and now they would share the halls. It was wonderful to think about. She reached a hand out, her fingers closing around the handle as she moved to push open the door.

"_Hermione...I wouldn't do that if I were you._" The voice was familiar, but one she never expected she'd hear again. Glancing up, she noticed the disembodied head of none other than Remus Lupin poking out of the top of the door.

"Remus!" she smiled. "It's so good to see you!"

"_Don't do it. Luna still hasn't shown you the...lovely renovations she's made to the Divination classroom..._"

"Nonsense, Remus! What is it? I'm sure it's nothing Hermione hasn't seen before..." Practically leaping forward, Luna pushed the door open. It creaked on its hinges as it swung back. Above them, the ghost of Remus Lupin looked as though he would cry if he could.

"Ron!" Hermione's face went red as the heat rushed to her cheeks.

"_Addy_? Oh, gods..." Pivoting on her heel, Luna slammed the door shut. Without a word, she grabbed Hermione by the arm, practically dragging her up the stairs. Only when they had reached the safety of the Gryffindor tower, the safety of Hermione's room, did Luna try to speak again.

"I...I didn't know, Hermione! I swear I didn't! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

- - -

**A/N:** I'm sorry this one is so short! Let me know what you think and I'll hopefully have another chapter up soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Chapter two...yep! Slightly longer than chapter one! Yay me! Hope you guys like it!

- - -

**Unexpected**

_Chapter Two: Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Their Sorrows Away_

Hermione's face maintained its red taint, but she said nothing. Her eyes were narrowed at the door, almost as if she expected someone. Maybe he would come find her? Surely it was a mistake? Surely she had imagined it all...? It was some kind of nightmare. That's what it was.

"Hermione?" She blinked, and Luna's voice pulled her back down to reality. "Are you alright? I..I mean, obviously you're not alright, but...talk to me. Please..."

Hermione shook her head. "There's nothing to talk about, Luna. There's nothing to..." She blinked, hot tears stinging her eyes as she kept her gaze on the door. No one was coming. But he owed her that much, didn't he?

"Hermione that's fluff and you know it." Luna's voice was perhaps a bit more stern than she meant it to be, and she recognized as much almost immediately. Her eyes glassed over slightly as she looked away from Hermione, a slight pink tint coming to her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I don't want to upset you any more..."

"There's _nothing_ to talk about, Luna." Hermione's voice was slightly more forceful this time, and for a moment, Hermione's gaze met the blond's. "Drop it."

Luna opened her mouth, but just as she was about to say something else, there was a soft knock on the door. Hermione's head snapped back, and her eyes narrowed, but she did not get up to answer it.

"'Mione...?"

"Don't open the door, _Ronald_. I swear to Merlin I won't be responsible for my actions if you do."

"But..."

"How long, Ronald?"

For a moment, there was only silence beyond the door. "Six months." The reply was barely audible, and had the woman not been waiting for it, she probably would have missed it.

Next to Hermione, Luna's eyes widened, and she reached out a hand to comfort her friend. Hermione shrugged it off, her eyes never leaving the door. "I see." She replied simply. Luna noticed the change in her voice. It was softer, broken...and it was _his_ fault.

"Don't you want to talk about it?" Ron's voice came through the door once more.

Hermione shook her head, although he would not be able to see the gesture. "There's nothing to talk about, Ronald."

"'Mione...."

"Don't you dare, Ronald Weasley." she snapped before he could finish his sentence.

After a moment, there was no more sound beyond the door, and Hermione visibly relaxed. Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a long, shaky sigh, closing her eyes as she looked down at the ground.

"Hermione...?" Luna whispered. "Are you alright?"

It seemed like ages before the curly-haired woman looked up again. She took another deep breath as her eyes met Luna's, and a slight smile came to her lips. She stood, grabbed her wand, and reached for the door.

"Hermione! Hexing him won't do any good!"

Hermione blinked, almost as if she had just realized that Luna was there, and shook her head. "I'm not going to hex him, Luna. I was going to go to the Hog's Head for a bit. Want to come along?"

Luna's jaw dropped slightly, and her features took on an air of skepticism. After what she'd just witnessed, this all seemed a little strange. And that smile...something about the small smile on Hermione's face had Luna a little more than concerned for her old friend. Outside, the campus was shadowed by cloud cover. Ironic, but fitting. Sighing, Luna stood, nodding in Hermione's direction. "Sure. I'll come along. You need someone to watch out for you in a place like that anyway..."

"Nonsense. I'm a big girl...but thank you for coming."

Luna nodded, her heart aching for the woman in front of her as the two of them exited the small room. It was going to be a long night. That much she already knew, but just how long and what all was in store wasn't really up to her. She would be there for Hermione. That's all she knew, and it was all she really could do, short of hexing the red-headed cheater herself. Of course, the thought had already crossed her mind on several occasions, but she managed to squelch it with much happier thoughts of what _everyone else_ would do to the fool when they found out. That at least put a smile on her face.

"What're you planning on doing at the Hog's Head, 'Mione?" Luna asked, curiosity in her voice.

"I'm _fine_, Luna. You don't have to babysit me, you know. I know how to behave."

"That's not what I..."

- - -

"Two glasses of firewhiskey for me and my friend here!" Hermione smiled, patting Luna on the back.

Luna could only shake her head. "Um...just a pumpkin juice is fine for me, thanks..." She couldn't help the look of worry she gave Hermione for a moment, although the other woman didn't seem to notice. How was it possible for her? How did she simply pretend everything was alright like this? Luna knew she'd never be able to do such a thing...not after what they'd witnessed earlier. Not after something like that.

It was hard to tell how long they were actually there. Outside, the sun had already began to sink below the horizon, but other than that, the blond woman had no real concept of just how much time had gone by. She nursed her pumpkin juice as though it were the only glass she would get. Occasionally her gaze flickered to the woman on the stool next to her. Hermione had said almost nothing since they'd arrived, and was on her second glass of firewhiskey. She was already starting to look red in the face, but Luna couldn't tell if that was the alcohol or her own emotions. That question was answered pretty quickly.

"Six years, Luna. Six bloody years, and he..." Hermione shook her head, swallowing a lump that had suddenly grown in her throat. She downed the remainder of her firewhiskey in one quick gulp before her gaze met Luna's again. Her eyes were glassed over with unshed tears, her cheeks pink, her jaw set angrily...but it was the sadness in those brown eyes of hers that Luna noticed more than anything else. "Why did he have to...what's wrong with me, Luna? What's so wrong with _me_?"

Luna's heart nearly broke at her old friend's words, and she sucked in a deep breath to calm herself before she could reply. Her hands were balled into shaky fists in her lap, but luckily Hermione seemed not to notice. "No, 'Mione...no. There's nothing wrong with you. _Nothing_. Got it? Ron Weasley doesn't know what he just gave up..."

Slowly, very slowly, Luna reached for the empty firewhiskey glass, shooting the bartender a death glare when he moved to try and refill it.

"No, there's...somethin's...wrong...with me." Hermione insisted, her speech slower and a little slurred as she continued to fight back the tears she was so unwilling to shed. "I'm not...not good enough..."

Without a word, Luna reached forward, her hands tightening around Hermione's arms as she met the woman's gaze with a fierce one of her own. "Stop it!" she commanded, shaking her roughly as she spoke. "Don't be an idiot, Hermione! You know what it is? It's not that you're not good enough, love. You're _too good_. And I'm not going to sit here and watch you drink yourself into a stupor anymore. We're going home. _Now_." She stood, jerking Hermione to her feet and leading her towards the door.

"Luna, I don't want..."

Luna jerked Hermione's arm again, this time pulling her towards her. For the briefest of moments, their lips crashed together. It took Luna a moment to realize what she'd done before she pulled back. "I don't care, Hermione. We're going home. You need to sleep..."

Hermione's fingers brushed across her lips in disbelief, and her eyes widened. "Didjoo jus'...?"

Luna shook her head. "No, I didn't. You're imagining things. Now come on. Let's get you home..."

- - -

**A/N: **I know, I'm terrible.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Okay, chapter three! Hope you guys are liking this so far!

- - -

**Unexpected**

_Chapter Three: Imagining Things_

"Come on, 'Mione. You're going to stay with me for tonight."

"But..._Ravenclaw_..."

"Nonsense. You're staying with me, and tomorrow we can hex the living hell out of that red-headed weasel if you want." Luna practically growled, her eyes fiery as she looked at Hermione again.

Hermione shook her head. "I don' want to do that..." She paused, her fingers brushing her lips again as Luna's eyes met hers. "Did you really jus'...?"

"I told you, you were imagining things. Now come on. Into bed..." Luna pulled back the blue covers on her bed and fluffed the pillow a little bit. She led Hermione over, all but forcing the woman to lay down, and tucked her into the blankets almost as if she were a child—fragile, _breakable_, in need of someone to take care of her...

"You don't have to..." Hermione's sentence was cut off early by an unexpected yawn. She cuddled down into the blanket, murmuring a silent thanks as her eyes closed.

Luna let out a sigh of relief, and sank into the recliner at the bedside. She watched as her old friend slept, remaining where she was in case the woman woke. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier as the night wore on, but she tried to blink away the tiredness. Eventually, it won out, and her head drooped as she fell asleep in the overstuffed chair.

Hermione tossed and turned in her sleep, visions of her husband entangled in the arms of another woman dancing through her mind and weighing heavy on her heart. She let out a tiny cry in her sleep, bolting upright and looking around the unfamiliar room. It was only when she noticed Luna's sleeping form in the chair next to the bed that she remembered how she'd managed to get here. She touched her lips again, still a bit unsure of all that had transpired that night, and tried to swallow a sob that threatened to burst forth and disturb the peace of the room. She failed.

Luna was jolted into consciousness when she heard the cry, and before she could blink, the curly-haired brunette woman had all but thrown herself at her, her head resting on Luna's shoulder as she cried. Slightly startled, Luna wrapped her arms around her friend, rubbing gentle circles on her back in an effort to calm her as much as she could.

"Shh...it's okay. It'll be alright..." she whispered.

"He wasn't even sorry!" Hermione sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "He wasn't! He should've...I _can't_...what am I supposed to _do_?" Her words were muffled, but Luna understood her clearly, and it made the blond's heart ache to see her friend so broken.

"It's okay, 'Mione. It'll be alright..." Luna wasn't even sure what else really could be said. She wasn't even sure of the truth of her own words...but the need to say something, to _do_ something, seemed to outweigh all of that.

"How is it supposed to be okay?" Hermione wailed. "I...married him. I'm...I'm a _joke_."

Luna shook her head violently, her grip tightening around her friend. "No you're not, love. I promise you're not. He's just a stupid git is all. He doesn't deserve someone like you. It's him that's a joke..." Anything to quell her crying...even though nothing seemed to be helping.

"Yes, I am..." Hermione countered between sobs.

"No, 'Mione..."

"But he..."

Luna let out what could almost be considered a growl. "Stop. Stop talking about yourself like you don't matter, Hermione! It's Ron who's the worthless prat in all of this, not you! Don't you let him do this to you. Don't you do it. He's not worth it." Perhaps if she said it enough, it would ring as true to the other woman as it did to her. Luna stroked her hair gently with one hand, her other hand still rubbing circles on Hermione's back. It was the only thing she could really do. Nothing would really make the woman feel better. Not right now, anyway.

Hermione's sobs softened for a moment as she tried to focus on Luna's words. "I...Luna...thank you..." she hiccuped softly. "I just...don't know anymore..."

"You don't have to, 'Mione. This isn't your fault." Luna assured her. Again.

"I...okay..." Hermione sat herself on the arm of Luna's chair, resting her head more comfortably on the other woman's shoulder. Still, she couldn't get what had happened earlier that night out of her head. Perhaps she had imagined it...but then again, Luna was...

"Are you feeling better?" Luna's soft voice broke through Hermione's thoughts. "Maybe you should get a little bit more sleep...?"

Hermione's fingers brushed across her lips once more. "Luna, earlier, did you...?"

Luna let out a heavy sigh, looking down at the ground and closing her eyes so that she did not have to meet the other woman's gaze. "I'm sorry, 'Mione. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn't really thinking at all. I didn't mean to....it just kind of happened..."

"Oh."

The silence in the room was easily thick enough to cut with a knife, yet neither woman seemed to want to break it. Hermione did not move her head from its resting place on Luna's shoulders, and after a moment, the blond woman finally looked up at her again. She opened her mouth as though she was going to speak, but it was Hermione who finally broke the silence between them.

"It's okay." she whispered.

Luna shook her head. "We can pretend it never happened if you want. If that makes things easier. I shouldn't have. Not after everything else you've been through since you got here. I don't know _what_ I was thinking..." she looked away again, a slight pink tint coming to her cheeks.

"Luna..." Again, it was Hermione to break the silence. "Luna, look at me." She waited. When Luna's gaze finally met hers again, she continued. "If it happened, it happened. I don't want to pretend otherwise." Hermione's expression soured for a moment as her mind wandered back to earlier that day, to Ron. Another thing she couldn't pretend didn't happen.

"Hermione?" The brunette woman blinked. Luna's piercing gaze was studying her with deep concern. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked after a moment of silence.

For the longest time, Hermione wasn't sure how to answer her friend's question. The day had been full of surprises, and most of them had not been of the good sort. In truth, she wasn't sure. In truth, she was still processing it all, still trying to decide what to do, how to feel...and she had no clue what that meant. She'd never been so confused, really.

Finally, she lifted her head from Luna's shoulder, an unsure smile on her face. "Honestly, Luna? I just don't know." Leaning forward, she placed a feather-light kiss on Luna's forehead. "But thank you. For everything."

This time, when the curly-haired brunette woman went back to sleep, Luna noticed much less tossing and turning. She had no clue what was floating around in Hermione's head at the moment, but she seemed more at peace, and that helped Luna to relax a little more. Of course, there was still the matter of what might happen tomorrow, but Luna found herself less and less concerned with that as she watched her old friend sleep.

Eventually, Luna began to doze off again, curling herself into the overstuffed chair much like she did when she was a child. "Night, 'Mione..." she whispered as she drifted off. Today had been a long day. That much was certain.

But tomorrow? Tomorrow would be something entirely new...for both of them.

- - -

**A/N: **I decided not to cliff hang this too badly. Chapter four should be up soon. I hope :D


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Yay chapter four!

- - -

**Unexpected**

_Chapter Four: Out in the Open_

Pretending that nothing was wrong was harder for the woman than she thought it would be. As it neared time for the students to arrive, Hermione busied herself as much as possible with getting her classroom ready. That didn't take nearly as long as she'd hoped it would, and she ran into Ron much more than she would have liked.

It was even more painful running into Addison—Addy, as Luna had called her. Hermione didn't even know the woman and she already hated her. On one hand, Hermione knew it wasn't all her fault...but on the other hand, this woman was responsible for destroying Hermione's happiness—her and Ron. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, and others had started to notice.

Hagrid, Hermione and Ron's friend since childhood, was the last to catch on to what had happened. The rumor mill among the Hogwarts teachers was a vicious one, and Hermione wasn't even sure how to handle it all. Anger had been her main outlet. She directed it at everyone who dared bother her. Even Luna didn't seem immune to it all, but the blond woman didn't seem to mind.

"Will you be alright?" McGonnagal sounded wiser than Hermione had ever remembered from her childhood. "There's nothing I can really do about it, but it is your personal relationship..."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine," she promised. "I'm a big girl, and I can handle myself and Ronald if need be."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I'm _fine_."

"You're dismissed then."

The night before the school was to open for students, the halls seemed even more quiet than usual. Huddled in the Hogwarts kitchens, Hermione sat with Neville and Luna. Between them, the three nursed a rather large bottle of firewhiskey and an assortment of after midnight snacks. Neville was already pink in the cheeks, Luna giggled at everything. Her bright blue eyes seemed even more bright as her gaze flickered back and forth between her two friends. Hermione was quiet as she drank, her gaze occasionally catching Luna's across the small table.

"Bedtime for me, guys..." Neville yawned, stumbling slightly as he got to his feet. "I'll see you all tomorrow night at the opening feast."

"Of course!" Luna nodded with a large grin.

"Is it already that time?" Hermione mused, her gaze far off for a moment. "See you tomorrow, Neville. See _him_ tomorrow, too. Can I sit next to _you_ at the table?" she looked up at Neville.

"Sure, love. Not a problem at all..."

Luna stood, stretching slightly and letting out a tiny yawn as she stepped away from the table. "Come on, 'Mione. Let's head off to bed. Long day tomorrow, after all." Luna Lovegood wasn't usually the voice of reason, but lately, she found herself falling into the role more and more often. Hermione was a grown woman, but Luna couldn't help the growing urge she felt to take care of her, to make sure that she was okay. It wasn't supposed to be her job, but she found herself taking to it quite easily.

The two women walked mostly in silence up the stairs toward their respective house dormitories. When it came time to split and go their own ways however, the silence between them was finally broken.

"Don't go..." Hermione whispered, sounding a bit unsure of herself.

"I have to go to bed."

"But...." Hermione was silent for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought through her words. "I don't want to be alone. Please?" There was almost a pleading note to her voice when she finally spoke again, her eyes meeting with Luna's.

There it was again. That tugging sensation that had been pulling at her lately. It was an urge to be with her, to help her, to make things better, comfort her...and Luna found it harder and harder to ignore...especially with the way that Hermione was looking at her.

She looked away, towards the direction of her own room, before letting out a heavy sigh and taking a step forward. "Come on. We'll have a cup of tea or something." Yes. Tea. They could both benefit from a cup, especially after the way they'd started the night.

"I don't want tea." Hermione protested.

"What _do_ you want?" Luna asked, her eyebrow raising slightly.

Hermione shrugged. "I just...you...I don't want to be alone." She stammered.

"You aren't." Luna promised.

Hermione's room was almost a mirror image of Luna's, but the four-poster bed had a dark maroon comforter on it instead of a blue one. Luna looked around for only a moment before sinking herself into the overstuffed chair in the room and letting out a long sigh. Her eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment before she heard Hermione coming further into the room. Looking up, she smiled at her friend and let out a tiny, contented sigh.

Hermione sat herself on her bed, directly across from Luna. For the longest time, the two sat in a very comfortable silence. Luna relaxed in her chair, and Hermione leaned forward. After what seemed like ages, the silence between them was finally broken.

"Why did you do it?" Hermione whispered.

Luna could feel a blush coming to her cheeks as the heat rose in her body, but she managed to ignore it. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked at the ground for a moment before she could bring herself to look at Hermione again.

"Hermione, we shouldn't talk about--"

"No. Why did you do it, Luna? You don't understand. I need to know." Her voice was calm, cool, collected, despite the topic of the conversation. "Please tell me. Or at least try..."

Luna coughed. "Hermione, I..." Luna chewed her bottom lip for a long while as she thought things over. This conversation had the potential to ruin their friendship...to destroy everything that they had built in these last few weeks. But at the same time, she couldn't avoid it forever. Hermione wasn't the type that would allow such a thing to happen. What was she supposed to do? In truth, Luna wasn't even sure what the truth was. How then was she supposed to explain it to someone else?

"Hermione, I can't...I don't _know_..." Luna's voice broke slightly and she looked away. "I did it because...because I wanted to. I _wanted_ to, okay? And it was horrible timing and I shouldn't have done it, but I did. And I know you could never..."

"Luna...stop it." Hermione interrupted sharply.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I..."

Hermione shook her head. "Bloody hell, Luna. Shut up." In one quick motion, Hermione moved forward, tangling her hand in Luna's hair and pulling the woman roughly towards her. For a moment, their lips were merely an inch apart. "I _told_ you already there was nothing to be sorry for, didn't I?" Hermione wasn't even really sure what she was doing, but the next thing she knew, her lips met with Luna's in a passionate kiss. After a moment, she pulled away panting, her lips swollen and tingling.

"'Mione...what are you..." Luna breathed.

"_You_ started it." Hermione silenced her with another kiss, pulling her over to join her on the small bed.

- - -

**A/N: **Yes, I did. Chapter five will be up soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Yes, I know. I suck because I don't update enough. Here is chapter five.

...ooo...

**Unexpected**

_Chapter Five_

The four-poster seemed much smaller with two bodies occupying it, but neither woman seemed to mind as they pressed against one another, pink-cheeked and panting. Hermione's fingers were still tangled in Luna's hair, and sky blue orbs met brown when the blond finally opened her eyes again. Luna shifted on the small bed and curled against Hermione, letting out a soft sigh as her mind played over all that had happened in the past several days.

"Hermione, listen, I know that you've had a rough go of things lately, and I don't want to make everything worse, and I was just thinking..."

Hermione pressed her index finger to Luna's lips to quiet her and shook her head, curly brown locks falling into her eyes. They stayed in silence like that for a moment before Hermione finally spoke again, her voice so soft that Luna almost had to strain to hear it, despite the other woman's closeness.

"You're not making anything worse, Luna." she promised, and she offered the blond a small smile. "If anything else, you're making things better. I wish there was a better way that I could explain it, but I feel like this is okay. I feel safe, and comfortable. You make me forget that anything ever went wrong..."

Luna cringed, and Hermione's sentence died an early death as she watched her. What had she said wrong? What had she done? Confusion and pain mingled together in Luna's bright blue eyes, and she shifted on the bed again, reaching up to untangle Hermione's fingers from her hair and press a soft kiss to the back of her hand. A thick silence lingered between them as Luna tried to decide what she would say, and how she wanted to say it.

"Luna?"

Luna shook her head. "That's just it, Hermione. I don't want..." She paused and took a deep breath, a futile effort to mask the frustration that she was beginning to feel. "I don't want to just be some distraction for you. I like you. I hate what that bastard git did to you, and I hope his balls fall off. I hate that he hurt you...but I don't want to be the rebound while you get over him. I can't do that. It's... It's not fair to either of us."

The brunette bit her lip and gasped as though she had been slapped. Her chocolate brown eyes widened as she met Luna's gaze again, and although her mouth opened and closed several times, she couldn't bring herself to say anything in response to her friend's words. Could it be possible that Luna was right?

"Luna, I..."

Without another word, Luna shifted and rolled out of the little four-poster, a soft sigh passing her lips. She shuffled towards the door, but stopped when she had her hand on the knob and turned towards Hermione again. "You don't have to say anything, 'Mione. Trust me. I understand. I just... I'm going to go back to my room, alright? Besides, we both need to get our sleep if we're going to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for classes..."

"But Luna, I..."

"Goodnight, Hermione."

The soft _click_ of the door as it shut when Luna left sounded quite a bit louder to Hermione than it actually was. She cringed as she stared at the closed door and frowned, biting her bottom lip and bringing her knees up to her chest as she laid in bed. The thick silence in the room was much more noticeable now that Luna was gone, and Hermione buried her face into her pillow as she thought over all that had happened between them.

Was it possible that Luna was right? The question loomed in Hermione's mind as she lay in bed. By the time her eyelids finally felt heavy, the sun was already starting to rise. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and groaned as she stretched her arms out over her head. She hadn't been able to sleep, but she couldn't simply hide in her room forever. She had obligations. Responsibilities. "Damn it..." she growled under her breath. "Why am I such an idiot?"

Breakfast the next morning was unusually quiet. Luna sat next to Hermione, but kept her gaze directed at her food for the entire meal. McGonnagal sat on Hermione's other side, keeping her a relatively safe distance away from the red-headed asshole she had until recently called her husband. The old woman seemed to be able to tell that Hermione was on edge. She offered her a polite smile as she nibbled on her breakfast, and then cleared her throat politely when she was done with her meal.

"Are you ready for classes to start?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in Hermione's direction.

"More than ready," she replied quickly, taking a long sip of her apple juice. "It will be nice to have the students here and not have the time to think about... Never mind."

McGonnagal nodded. "Yes, it is a bit nicer when the students are here. The quiet is nice, but the castle is almost too quiet when it is empty."

To Hermione's great surprise, at McGonnagal's words, Ron pushed himself away from the table, nearly causing his chair to topple over behind him, and stomped out of the Great Hall. Hermione's gaze followed him out of the room, but she didn't speak, and she didn't bother to go after him. A few moments later, Addison politely excused herself, although Hermione noticed how hurried her steps were as she made her way out of the hall.

Hagrid looked after the pair, but said nothing. Hermione shoveled the remainder of her breakfast into her mouth and scooted her chair away from the table. "I'm going to go get the classroom ready for Monday," she announced, a half-hearted smile on her face. "Want to make sure everything is perfect..."

The hall was strangely silent as she left, nothing but the sound of her sneakers slapping against the stone floor. It was like everyone else was holding their breath, as if time, in that moment, had stopped all together. Why did it feel like her world was still spinning out of control?

She'd only made it up four stairs when she heard an all-too-familiar voice, and she froze in place.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, _Ronald_?" She practically spat his name. At least with her back to him, he couldn't see the redness of her face, but she was certain that the venom dripping from her voice would be unmistakeable from any angle. It had been reserved especially for him lately.

There was a long silence. Hermione started up the stairs again. Three more, and then:

"I ended it with Addison."

She stopped again, one foot poised to take the next step, the other planted firmly on the one before it. "Oh?" It was all that she could manage to say.

Ron let out a loud sigh. "Yeah. I mean, I don't think she's too happy about—Could you at least _look_ at me while I'm trying to talk to you?" Hermione could hear the frustration in his voice, but she couldn't manage to feel sorry for him. After all, he'd made his own bed, and in doing so, he had effectively destroyed her life. She held no sympathy for him. She had loved him, and he had thrown that in her face.

"No."

"Why the bloody hell not?" Ron demanded, his voice echoing in the empty stairway. For a brief moment, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if the others still gathered in the hall had heard his outburst.

She'd rarely heard him raise his voice like that. It was a little surprising, but she didn't flinch. She took a step down so that she was standing on level ground and crossed her arms over her chest, but did not turn to look at him. "Because, Ronald. I don't _want_ to. You embarrassed me. Humiliated me. Hurt me in the worst way possible. If I _look_ at you right now, I might be tempted to do more than that."

"That's harsh, 'Mione."

"_Don't_ call me that."

"Hermione, please... Just give me a chance to explain myself."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't want to hear it, Ronald. It's not my problem. You couldn't keep your dick in your pants. You're the one that has to live with that. You can't have it both ways, and just because you broke it off with her doesn't excuse the fact that you did it in the first place!" Hermione could feel the stinging threat of oncoming tears. She blinked furiously in an effort to combat them, but nothing seemed to help. "You ruined everything!" she snapped. "You can go to hell, Ronald Weasley. Don't you dare expect pity from me." With that said, Hermione stomped up the remainder of the stairs, slamming the door when she finally reached her classroom.

She hid behind the safety of the door for a few minutes, leaning against it as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down. Her stomach had tied itself in knots, and she could literally feel the throbbing that she felt in her head. A wave of nausea unlike any she had ever experienced washed over her body, and Hermione threw her hand over her mouth as she pulled at the door and raced for the bathroom. She reached it just in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the waiting toilet bowl.

Hermione had never let her emotions get the better of her quite like that before, and she sat on the floor of the bathroom long after her stomach was devoid of her breakfast, her body shaking as she hugged the toilet seat. When she found her legs again, she pulled herself up and dragged herself to the sink to splash a bit of water on her face. "You can do this, Hermione..." she whispered to her reflection. "You can do this."

The next morning, her new mantra in playing itself over and over again in her head, Hermione rolled out of bed and shuffled down to the Great Hall in her pajamas. Her eyes were still somewhat puffy from the drama of the day before, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She pushed open the door and forced herself forward, one foot in front of the other. This plan worked fairly well until she reached the table where the morning's breakfast was arranged. One deep breath was enough to send her stomach reeling again, and she covered her mouth to fight back the wave of nausea that threatened her.

"Hermione?" It was Luna's voice, although one quick glance upwards told her that everyone else seemed to be staring at her as well. "Are you alright?"

Hermione couldn't bring herself to reply. Instead, she pivoted on her heel and rushed from the hall, hand still clasped over her mouth and nose. Once again she found herself on her knees, hugging the toilet as she wretched. This wasn't good. On top of everything else, she wasn't sure she could handle getting sick right before classes were to start. Then again, the rest of her life seemed intent on rebeling against her, so why not her own body as well?

"Hermione?" It was Luna again. Hermione groaned as she heard the squeaking sound announcing the swinging of the bathroom door.

"I'm _fine_..." she managed, her voice nothing more than a low whine.

"Of course you are," Luna shrugged. "But I'm going to walk with you to Madame Pomfrey's anyway. If it's contagious, you might want to think about canceling your class tomorrow..."

Hermione groaned her response, but let herself be led towards the door anyway. She leaned against Luna for support, her face flushed as they made their way down the hallway. The two traveled in silence for a time before Hermione's soft voice cut through the still air. "I'm sorry, Luna. About the other day. I didn't mean to make you feel-"

"I know, Hermione. We can talk about it later, okay? Right now, there are more important things to worry about..."

...ooo...

**A/N: **Sorry about the wait, guys. Reviews are always appreciated, and thanks for all the feedback so far!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **College was kicking my butt, guys. Now that I'm back, I should be updating fairly regularly. And now that I'm back, I'm going to get this story cranked out so that those of you who were reading it can finish it and get an idea of where I was going with it in the first place. And just for reference, any lemony goodness that does occur in this fic will be later. I'm not going to have these two hop into anything too soon. That just wouldn't be any fun, now would it? Anyway, on with the show! Err... Story!

...ooo...

**Unexpected**

_Chapter Six_

"I don't know what to tell you, Mrs. Weasley-"

"Use my maiden name, please..." Hermione tried not to snap at the older woman. After all, it wasn't her fault that Ron was an insufferable asshole.

"It's not the stomach flu, so I'm fairly certain you'll be okay for classes tomorrow," Madame Pomfrey finished without skipping a beat.

Hermione looked up, her expression pained as she bent over a plastic pail. "What on earth is it, then? I've not been able to keep a thing down. I feel like death warmed over. You're sure none of the students can catch it?" As relieved as she was to hear that it wasn't the flu, Hermione couldn't help but want to know what it was. It had already interrupted enough of her life as far as she was concerned. She didn't need to be tossing her cookies in the middle of a class with no explanation as to why on Monday. "The students will be here tonight, and I just want to be sure..."

"There's a number of things it could be, really," shrugged the old woman. "Stress, food poisoning, although I doubt that since you're the only one here..." Madame Pomfrey paused, her eyes widening and a small smile creeping across her face as she looked the young woman up and down. "There is one _other _possibility you might want to consider." she offered.

Hermione waited quietly, her gaze flickering from Luna to the old healer and back again. "Well?" she finally asked.

Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat. "When was your last cycle?"

It took Hermione a moment to realize what the old woman was asking. "What do you mean? It was..." She paused, her eyes widening as the color slowly drained from her cheeks. It couldn't be, could it? Hermione thought back over the last several weeks, her hand slowly moving to her stomach. Between the excitement of getting the new job at the castle and the revelation that her husband was a cheating bastard who couldn't keep it in his pants, everything else had completely slipped her mind. She bit her lip and tried to will back the oncoming tears that stung her eyes.

"Well then. It seems like we answered that question," chimed Madame Pomfrey. "Congratulations to you, Hermione. I'm sure that Ron will be very excited to hear the news about the-"

Hermione cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "Don't tell Ronald," she said, almost too quickly. The old woman blinked in surprise, and Hermione amended her statement. "Don't tell him," she repeated. "Don't tell anyone. I'll tell him."

"Hermione..." This time it was Luna. Hermione cringed at the sound of her own name.

"Don't say it, Luna."

The blond sighed and ducked her head, her hair falling into her eyes as she took a deep breath. "I... I wasn't going to say anything," she whispered. "I just... We should get back to the others. They're all probably very worried about you." Luna offered her hand, and Hermione looked at it for a moment before accepting it and lifting herself to her feet.

"Thank you..." she whispered to Madame Pomfrey.

"You're welcome, dear. Congratulations!"

"Yeah... Thanks."

The gentle hum of conversation that had been occurring when Luna and Hermione re-entered the Great Hall died almost as soon as they set foot within the room. The two stole a quick glance at one another, and Hermione released Luna's hand before taking her seat at the table next to McGonnagal as she had the morning before. All eyes were on her as she sat down, and suddenly she felt very warm, as if every inch of her skin was on fire. Finally, she looked up and let out a low sigh.

"Twenty-four hour stomach bug," she shrugged. "It'll be gone tomorrow and there's nothing to worry about. You all can stop staring now. I promise I'm going to be fine." She paused a moment to glance about the table and snatched a muffin for herself from one of the plates, nibbling gingerly on it as she waited for the conversation in the hall to resume. She would tell Ronald. She would tell everyone. Eventually.

After breakfast, Hermione stole away to her office and pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. She had already dipped the quill and had it poised over the parchment before she even knew what she was going to say. She had to talk to someone, but ironically, it wasn't even her own mother that came to mind. She pressed the quill to the parchment and began to write.

_Molly, _

_I hope you and Arthur are doing well. I've settled in to the castle quite nicely. Ronald is doing fine. More than fine, actually. I can't wait for the students to get here and for the school year to finally begin. I'm looking forward to the distraction, actually..._

What was meant to be a fairly simple letter turned into something much more. It was a monster, and the whole thing took up nearly three roles of parchment by the time that Hermione was done writing. She told her mother-in-law everything. Of course, the letter had started off nicely enough, but as she continued writing, the rest of the details seemed to fill themselves in of their own accord. Walking in on Ron with the new potions professor, the arguments, the late night crying spells and her new-found friendship with Luna Lovegood, and of course, the most recent piece of news.

_...I haven't been feeling well, so I went to see Madame Pomfrey. Didn't want to make any of the students sick, of course. Good news is I'm not contagious. It's worse than that... I'm pregnant, Molly. I'm pregnant, and I haven't told Ronald. I can't even begin to think of how to tell him in light of...everything else. I don't know what to do. I want to be happy about it. I've always wanted a big family, and I know I should be happy, but I can't be. I'm scared and I'm angry and I feel like I'll be bringing this baby into a broken home. I'm so stupid. I just wish... I wish Ronald and I could have had what you and Arthur have. But it's all ruined now. I don't think I can ever trust him again, and now with this baby on the way... I've never felt so helpless. I always know what to do, but this time, I'm stumped. Luna is the only other person who knows everything. She has been a constant friend through it all. _

_Please don't tell Ronald, Molly. I'll tell him on my own. Eventually. I swear. Just... Please keep this between us for now. I need to figure things out on my own before I talk to him. _

_Give Arthur my best. _

_Love, Hermione_

By the time she was finished, the parchment was blotched in several places, but still legible. Hermione rolled the parchment up and considered shoving it into the deep, dark recesses of her desk drawer, but decided against it. Instead, she pushed herself up and made the trek to the school owlery, choosing one of the larger birds to deliver her letter to the matriarch of the Weasley family. She stood and watched the animal fly off until she couldn't see it anymore, and then she started back down the stairs, the weight on her shoulders feeling somewhat lighter than it had earlier.

...ooo...

For reasons that she couldn't explain, the mattress on Hermione's four-poster bed felt softer than it ever had before when she finally went to lay down that night. She curled in on herself and hugged her pillow, her body facing the wall. Almost as soon as she was comfortable, her eyelids began to feel heavy...and almost as soon as she closed her eyes, there was a soft knocking at her door.

"Go _away_, Ronald." Hermione snapped on instinct.

There was silence beyond the door for a moment, and then Hermione heard a soft, musical voice that she hadn't been expecting. "It's not Ron, Hermione. Can I come in?" Luna's voice seemed to float through the room, and Hermione shifted her weight on the bed and turned to face the door, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Of course," she called out. She sat herself up in bed and brushed her fingertips through her hair as the door creaked open. When she saw Luna, she smiled again and patted the overstuffed red chair beside her bed. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'm a little on edge. Ron and I... We had an argument yesterday, and I've just been... I've not been myself. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I thought you were him."

Luna nodded in understanding as she folded herself into the bedside chair. For a moment, she didn't speak, and the two of them sat in a comfortable silence, blue orbs occasionally meeting with brown as if the two were trying to decide who would be the one to break the silence. Finally, Luna spoke. "You know, I didn't mean to upset you the other day. I just thought... You know... With everything else that has been going on, I didn't want to rush you into things. And... And with a baby on the way, maybe you want to work on things with Ronald and try to-"

"I won't be working on things with Ronald," Hermione interrupted, her voice curt. "I can't do it, Luna. Not after what he did. I mean, it's not like we weren't intimate. I never thought that trusting him would be an issue, but he was doing all of this and still pretending that he loved me, and I don't think that I can forgive that."

Luna reached out and placed her hand on Hermione's knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I didn't mean to upset you by suggesting it," she whispered. "I just thought that..." She let out a soft sigh. "I don't know what I was thinking, actually. I know how badly he hurt you. He's an idiot, and he knows it. He's probably in his room right now, cuddling up with his pillow and thinking of ways to kick himself in his own ass for what he did to you."

"Luna?"

"Yes, 'Mione?"

"You're not helping."

"Sorry..." Luna blushed and looked down at the floor for a moment before she spoke again. She shifted her weight in the chair and tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind her ear. "I know it must be hard, Hermione. I can't even really imagine, but I know you'll manage. You've always been strong, and I know you'll make it through this."

Hermione could do nothing to hide the frown that crept onto her face. "I wish I believed that, Luna, but right now, I don't know what to think." She pulled her blanket a little bit closer to her body, almost as if shielding herself with it, and let out a soft sigh. "I've never felt as lost as I do right now. Thank you...for putting up with me. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you right now, and I..." Despite her best efforts, Hermione could do nothing to combat the yawn that interrupted her sentence.

Luna smiled. "Don't mention it, 'Mione." She stood, stretching her arms up over her head, and yawned herself. "I should probably go find my own bed..." she mused, taking a step backwards towards the door. She stopped when her back came into contact with the wood frame, and smiled at her friend. "One day soon, when you've got everything figured out and everything makes a little bit more sense, maybe we'll finally be able to have that talk I promised you..."

"I'm holding you to that."

Luna smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. Goodnight, 'Mione."

...ooo...

**A/N: **Gasp! A chapter that doesn't end in a horrible cliff-hanger of doom! Ah, but how do you think Molly will react to Hermione's letter? I guess I'll have to update again before you get to find out. Reviews are greatly appreciated.


End file.
